NEW YORK — Good afternoon from Citi Field, where tonight the Nationals open a weekend series against the Mets, beginning with an awfully tough matchup against the dynamic Matt Harvey.

The Nats have already gotten a good look at Harvey this season; he beat Stephen Strasburg with an electric performance here back in April. So they know they've got their work cut out for them tonight. They can only hope Ross Detwiler is up to the challenge himself after some recent shaky outings.

Still waiting on the Nationals' lineup, which I don't believe will include Bryce Harper. Though I suppose you never know…

I was reading an article in the NY Post (I think it was there or could have been the Daily News) a few days ago and it basicly said that the Mets have three "real" major league players. The are has been or never was guys.Look at Eric Young, cut by the Rockies starting for the Mets. Buck is slowing down.I use to be a Mets fan before the Nationals came to town, glad I'm not right now…

Haha!!!! Hope we see fierce WBC Det tonight. And I am sick and tired of people anointing these barely experienced guys as hall of famers. This guy needs to be brought down a peg. You know it will happen. None of these guys can keep it up forever. Medlin last year, even Stras– give it time. They are good, but not perfect. Time for a reminder that he is human.

Agreed- even Verlander has off nights. Seems like every year there is the next, newest, anointed pitcher of the season. Adjustments get made. He will still be good, just not as good as he seems to be now. Flavor of the month.

Let's face it folks, it's not just that the offense is bad— there are just amazing pitchers out there. Across MLB, pitching is good- offense is down. Start your list of really good pitchers and see how long it gets in a hurry. Add to that the outstanding defense like we have just seen. We did, however just take a series from a first place team. And we came close to sweeping. It is tough to face these pitchers might after night. We seem to have the worst time with Gee, though.

swami, I vote for Det. He hasn't had a really solid start since he came back. It took him longer than I expected to come back and I wonder if he's completely healed. It seems to have been another one of those situations where he was going to try to "work through" it, then he doesn't make his next start, then he's on the DL, etc. etc. Didn't RZimm's take a lot longer? Oblique, I mean. Well, how do you like that? Cleveland tied it up.

NatsLady- could very well be- and yes, obliques are long. Remember Desi? I love it when Det has that killer mentality. But if he is being careful or favoring something then his mechanics will be off. Maybe playing with it earlier did mess with his mechanics. He can be so Ana Ing when he is on. I want to see that again.

Years ago I worked for a company with headquarters in NY and a plant in LA. At the plant they gave guns away as incentives. I admit, my urban heart was totally shocked but it was explained to me that it didn't mean anything more than giving away bowling balls. I don't have a problem with bowling balls…

As a died-in-the-wool (and cotton, silk and cashmere) Nats fan, I can say in all honesty anyone who thinks anyone other than Matt Harvey will start the ASG for the NL at Citifield is living in a world I don't recognize. (Now let's hope that reverse psychology kicks in.)

jeff – "nice area…Franklins in Hyattsville often has good Nats pub"Yeah? I don't go there too often these days…will have to check that out.As for 2A, I am glad we have the right. With any luck some NRA member's who are felons will show up for free guns. Only 2/3s of this paragraph is on he level.

Oh yeah, jeff, the DC Brau brewery is just down Bladensburg Road. Fun place to go on a Saturday.As for the game, it seems like Det is doing quite well so far! Just now getting to watching, though; was listening while taking a walk with my son. It's really crazy how many sinkers Det throws…

I admit, my urban heart was totally shocked but it was explained to me that it didn't mean anything more than giving away bowling balls. I don't have a problem with bowling balls…Need to get out of the city more often.

as long as we (me) are on the subject of foul balls, i was at the 1995 (i think it was 95) ASG in old Veterans stadium in Philly and me & my buddy caught three foul balls off the bat…it was un-real, we were down the R field line and had multiple Phillies fans tell us they have been to games for 30 years and never caught a one…for me & my buddy, it was our first time there and we got three and trust me, we told them that too…very memorable…still have the one i caught.

You have to admit that these circumstances have been extremely stressful tonight. Those five innings must have seemed like ten. Let's not forget how much Det had to put into that bases loaded jam. Sometimes it's not the pitches or innings, it's the stress involved. The atmosphere, the weather, the opposing pitcher, paltry offense — all very stressful. I don't think he is 100 % yet either, though. He is certainly not built back up stamina wise. He was out a lot longer than Stras.

I don't think this is a disappointing season at all. Our boys are gritting it out, winning games they have no business winnning. Rizzo/Davey forced to clean out all the excess like Henry/Duke/Espinosa and run a mean ship. You never know who is going to pitch the next game, who will come through, who will stub their toe. I'm loving it. A lot better this way than cruising until August and then folding.

Det was not that bad, it has been our offense that has been bad. Yes, Harvey is a good pitcher but come on, make adjustments, get his pitch count up, work the counts, get some walks, make things happen all known as small ball Davey, that is how we can get back into this game…best AB of the night was Det.p.s. that a boy Zim

You know, I was thinking philosophically. That's what you do when your team is struggling. I heard Strassie saying how much he had learned this season, I heard Tyler Moore saying the same thing. Last year everything just happened, things worked. This year adversity is all around. But our team is young and I really feel that they are learning and developing more now. If this team is going to move forward and be a factor in the coming years then they need to keep developing and toughening up. I think that is what is happening and I think that is why it is happening.

For weeks on end last year we had exactly the same line up. Anyone could have managed the team. Now you have to see if Davey can still do it. We get to see what mid-season corrections Rizzo will or will not make.

That is a nice looking pizza. Casper Wells entered the game in the ninth as the White Sox's fifth pitcher, with the outfielder becoming the first position player to take the mound for the South Siders since Dewayne Wise threw a scoreless inning against Minnesota last Sept. 12. Wells used a 91-mph fastball to retire Mike Aviles on one pitch, struck out Cabrera and got Jason Kipnis to fly out as part of his scoreless frame.

At least we are struggling with a pitcher tonight who is actually good, as opposed to the pitchers we have trouble with who usually stink. Seriously – I was worried about that whole perfect game thing, thanks Desi. Tonight it's the hitters who usually stink who are giving us trouble! Keep on learning those lessons, guys, you will need them down the road.